It is time for governments and platforms to build better long-term institutions and procedures for integrating tech giants into security and geopolitical policymaking.
The Colonial Pipeline hack revealed cyber risks that President Biden seeks to address with the nationâs first cybersecurity review board, modeled after the National Transportation Safety Board.
âItâs a good start,â said Roger Nebel, a cybersecurity instructor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.Â
âBut congressional action also is needed,â said Nebel, who teaches at the UAF Homeland Security and Emergency Management Program.Â
Bidenâs 14-page order places a new emphasis on national cybersecurity. The executive order:
Sets up the federal cybersecurity board to review attacks like the Colonial breach by a Russian criminal group.Enhances oil and gas industry standards for cybersecurity at federal agencies and for contractors that do business with them.Updates security standards for software sold to the government.Â
Alaskaâs delegation in Congress agrees more needs to be done to secure Americaâs infrastructure from cybersecurity attacks.
Alaskaâs three GOP congressional members want to help government and industry partner to protect critical infrastructure that spans energy, transportation and commerce.
Each of the three offers a strategy to achieve it.
U.S. Rep. Don Young, who helped the House pass the 2018 Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act (CISA), is considering bi-partisan legislation to enhance cyber protections.
Young cited the Colonial Pipeline System cyberattack and state of Alaska cyber intrusions that disrupted essential services, as evidence for improving Americaâs security online.
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Although the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has made significant strides since it was established in 2018, it still has important work to do to fulfill its cybersecurity and national security obligations, according to a recent audit by the Government Accountability Office. This includes improving communication with companies that share responsibility for the security of critical infrastructure as well as soliciting private sector input on creating specific security plans for each industry.
The federal watchdog made 11 recommendations for how CISA can fulfill the requirements laid out in the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018. That law established CISA as a stand-alone agency within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with a charter to protect the nation s critical infrastructure.
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been central in federal cybersecurity policy for years, as an important non-regulatory body that convenes the private sector, works across agencies, and protects information sharing with and between the private sector. We expect DHS to increase its influence on federal procurement in the coming years, both as a network security advisor to most federal agencies and as a purchaser of networking, security, and cybersecurity services. Contractors should keep an eye on DHS’s expanding role in procurement policy, particularly as new leadership takes the reins of the agency.